New crystals to store hydrogen

A group of chemists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have just discovered a little-known bond between hydrogen atoms. Classically, these atoms break on contact with water, and the molecule they form decomposes, producing hydrogen gas. Difficult to preserve, this substance has long been used in industry, where its manufacture consumes a great deal of polluting energy. Researchers have now developed crystals that enable hydrogen to be stored. This process could be used to develop the fuel cell, an energy technology with ecological virtues. With the potential to replace the internal combustion engine, the fuel cell is the subject of intense research. Unfortunately, some industrial techniques using hydrogen gas require fossil fuels to extract this element, which remains rare in its natural state.